Are You At Risk For Heart Disease
The leading health problem in the world today is
heart disease. It claims more than one million lives every year. Because of the narrowing of blood vessels the heart is unable to maintain an adequate amount of blood circulation through the body. This inadequacy of the heart and blood vessels is called heart disease or cardiovascular disease.
Heart Health is making sure that the heart and blood vessels have the necessary nutrients to keep them strong and working properly. The blood vessels have to be soft and plaque free.
There are different types of heart disease.
Coronary Heart Disease, is caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits along the innermost layer of coronary arteries. This thickening narrows the arteries and can lesson or eventually block the flow of blood to the heart..
Symptoms may include pain in the chest and /or heaviness, tightness and pressure. .
A heart attack happens when the heart muscle lacks oxygen. this occurs when there is a blockage of blood flow to the heart, robbing it of oxygen, and therefore robbing the rest of the body as well. most times this is caused by a build up of cholesterol and other fatty substances in the arteries.. If this lack of oxygen happens for a prolonged time , it damages or kills off the heart muscle cells in the area that was cut off , and this causes that area to malfunction.
Symptoms may include .Severe chest pains, that may not recede even with rest, severe pressure and squeezing in the centre of the chest, pain in the shoulders ,neck, arms or the jaw, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, and indigestion.
Congestive Heart failure is another type of heart disease. It is when the heart is not supplying the other organs of the body with enough oxygenated blood, and can be the result of high blood pressure, high sodium intake, heart valve disease, previous heart attacks ,to name a few.
Symptoms include, weight gain, swelling of legs and ankles, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea, persistent cough.
Yet another type of heart disease can be the result of malfunctioning heart valve
1.When the heart valves malfunction, it prevents the flow of blood in and out of the heart. This is called Heart Valve Disease. This can be due to damage from a previous heart attack.
Symptoms include chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, migraines and dizziness.
Angina is when a part of the heart is not receiving enough blood. It is identified by recurring chest pain. It is a symptom of coronary heart disease.
Symptoms include squeezing or crushing pain in the chest, pain in the arms, shoulders, jaw, neck and back.
Doctors must diagnose correctly if one is to receive proper and beneficial treatment for heart disease. Some common methods for diagnosing heart disease are, electrocardiogram(EKG), where a set of sensory pads are placed on strategic areas of your chest and a record of the heart’s beating patterns are recorded.
Another method is the Stress Electrocardiogram(Stress EKG), where one is put under physical stress , like running on a treadmill, where abnormalities in the beat of the heart are recorded.
Angiocardiography is another method which is used to diagnose the condition of the arteries. A catheter is inserted into the artery and dye is released into the blood stream. Blockages and other abnormalities are discovered on a monitor, by observing the dye flowing through the arteries.
It is always best to have a heart check up every year as part of the normal annual check up regardless of age, as heart disease can strike at any time.
